Homily For Saturday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 26th July, 2025. The Memorial of SS. Joachim and Anne

Readings: Ex . 24:3-8; Ps. 50; Matt. 13:24-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF EVIL IN THE WORLD CREATED BY GOD WHO IS ALL GOOD 

Oftentimes when we reflect on the ugly events that happen around us, we wonder why God, who is so good and powerful, permits the evil we see and experience in the world He created. And sometimes, the evil ones are so cruel that we wish that God should just wipe them away from the face of the earth, and when this does not come forth, we complain and even doubt the power of God over this evil. 

The answer to this ugly phenomenon is found in the parable of today's Gospel passage. Here the sower has sown good seed in his field for a healthy wheat harvest. But in the dark of night, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. 

So when the plants came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared as well. What Matthew most likely refers to as weed is darnel or cockle, a harmful weed that closely resembles wheat and is common in Israel. The difference between darnel and real wheat is evident only when the plants mature and the ears appear. 

So, when the servants notice the weeds, their first response is to question the quality of the seed. Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from? When the master replies that an enemy has sown the weeds, the slaves are anxious to take care of the problem, to root those nasty weeds immediately. 

But the master restrains his servants, saying that in gathering the weeds they would uproot the wheat along with them. He orders them to let both grow together until the harvest. Then he will send out his reapers to collect and burn the weeds and to gather the wheat into his barn.

 

In this parable the one who sows the good seed is Jesus, the field is the world, and the good seeds are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Jesus does not, however, say who the servants represent. Perhaps they represent the disciples or anyone who has questioned why God allows evil to grow and thrive, and wishes to take matters into his or her own hands and root out the evil around. 

But this will not be easy, because, it is not so easy to tell the weeds from the wheat as their roots are intertwined below the ground. Thus, rooting out the weeds would uproot the wheat as well, doing more damage to the crop than leaving the weeds to grow. 

Therefore, let us learn from SS. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose memorial we celebrate today. In the midst of the challenge of weeds of this passing world, they were entrusted with the task of nurturing and bringing up Mary as a great instrument for God’s salvation for humanity.

Dear friends, most of us are victims of evil weeds in our world. Today, as we wish to remove these weeds in our lives, Jesus wants us to learn how to be patient and trust God in times of trouble and tribulations, for he alone knows the best time and how best to deal with the evil ones. For when that time comes He will gather all evildoers and throw them into the furnace of fire. 

But the problem is that we are not patient with the Lord; we often behave like the Israelites in our first reading today, who, after listening to the commandments of God, said: ‘We will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey them.’ But just a few days later they abandoned the teachings of the Lord. Therefore, we must learn to be patient with the Lord, especially in times of troubles and tribulations.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our hearts are full of weeds of different corruptions and evil planted by the evil ones. As we wait on you, may you guide and protect us from the malice of the evil ones. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Have a fruitful weekend.

Homily For Friday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 25th July, 2025. The Feast of St. James, Apostle

Readings: 2Cor 4: 7-15, Ps 126:1-6, Matt: 20:20-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

TRUE GREATNESS IS FOUND I HUMBLE SERVICE TO OTHERS AND NOT IN DOMINATION 

To be great is one of the desires of every human person; it is that which makes us utilise the unique gift God has given us, from which we serve Him and our neighbours responsibly. However,  human greediness and selfishness have made us see greatness as domination and subjection of others competitively and comparatively. Today as we celebrate the feast of St. James,  we heard in our Gospel passage how the disciples of Jesus were struggling with this competitive and comparative attitude. 

This is because the mother of Zebedee’s sons came with her sons to make a request from Jesus saying, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ And Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking’. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.” 

So, other disciples became angry because James and his brother John, through the intercession of their mother, desired to have key leadership positions in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus. But Jesus let them know that the transcendent power and authority to lead belong to God and whoever He wishes to share it with. 

 

Here, Jesus prophesied that James and his brother John would "drink of the same chalice" of suffering as himself, since the two brothers had asked to be seated at his right and his left in his kingdom, and he told them that they would be with him in a far different way than they expected. 

Thus, James suffered martyrdom for the sake of the kingdom, for he was beheaded in Jerusalem at the orders of Herod Agrippa. His death is the only biblical record we have of the death of one of the Apostles, and he was the first to give his life for his Master. He embraces true greatness not by domination and subjection, but by service, sacrifice and dedication to the faith he has found in Jesus, which he wishes to share with others.

So, today we celebrate the feast of a great man, who, along with his brother John and Peter, was part of the inner circle of Jesus. So like St. James, we are encouraged to seek true greatness in humility of service and sacrifice even at the point of losing everything. 

St. Paul also encouraged us in our first reading to be steadfast for we are affiliated in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Knowing that true greatness is found in humble service and not in domination or subjection of others. For good leaders serve the community, they subdue arguments and divisions, they maintain unity in times of distress and act as role models for the young just like St. James. 

Dear friends, today, we are all called to seek true greatness in humble service of others and not in domination. We are called to utilise the unique gift God has given us and use it to serve Him and our neighbours responsibly in any capacity we find ourselves, bearing in mind that one should not strive to be a leader but a servant because leadership is a gift from God. Remember, true greatness is found in our sacrificial service to others, not in competitive and comparative subjection and domination of others. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you have taught us that true greatness is found in the sacrificial service to humanity, give us the grace to live a life of sacrifice and humility. And through the intercession of St. James, may our lives be a good example of true greatness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful week.

Homily For Thursday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 24th July, 2025

 

Readings: Ex . 19:1-2.9-11.16-20; Ps. Dn. 3:52-56, Matt 13:10-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET US LEARN TO LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING TO US

Reflecting on the present situation of our country, I must say that it is obvious that we are like sheep desperately in need of a shepherd, as the present leaders have shown that they are not and cannot be the Messiah we are looking for, since we have continually been involved in doing evil.

We have abandoned the God who has blessed us with all the good things of life in order to embrace the gods of money, wealth and have made ourselves gods to others. What we have in our country today are corrupt, greedy and selfish people who are like a leaky cistern that can not hold water because we have failed to listen to the voice of God calling us to repentance.

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, we heard Jesus saying: “The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So, you will listen and listen again, but not understand, see and see again, but not perceive.

For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull from hearing, and they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me”.

Here, we see the Lord’s sadness and anger at us for our selfishness, greed and ingratitude. For we are constantly disobeying God through our sinful, rebellious and unwilling attitudes to embrace and properly utilise what God has given us for the good of all. Thus, we constantly take God’s patience and kindness for granted. We have taken His mercy and compassion for granted.

Today, we are called to come back to God with all our hearts so that He will respond to our needs. For he will restore the fortune of the poor and put our enemies to shame as they will come quaking and trembling in fear of the Lord because of all the evil they have committed against humanity.

For we heard the Lord saying to Moses in our first reading today: ‘I am coming to you in a dense cloud so that the people may hear when I speak to you and may trust you always. Go therefore to the people and tell them to prepare themselves today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothing and hold themselves in readiness for my coming.

Dear friends, without God in our lives we are nothing. So we are called to listen to the voice of the Lord calling us to repentance. Let it not be business as usual, for the righteous God will send a good shepherd to His people, who will shepherd us with his staff of justice, mercy, forgiveness and fidelity. Though not in the manner we expect. He will not lead us in any campaign against our corrupt and selfish leaders.

But he will lead us in a campaign against an even more formidable foe, the devil and his agents. And when he has succeeded in overcoming them, our leaders and their corruption and selfish way of life will be taken care of. Then, his kingdom of peace and justice will be established and it will last forever. All we need to do is to trust in the Lord, ask him for directions and be docile to his words.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have abandoned your ways out of selfishness and greediness. Help us to change this ugly way of life, so as to embrace your word and become a vessel of love. May Christ, our good shepherd, guide our paths and lead us into his own dwelling place forever and ever. Amen. Have a blessed.

Homily For Wednesday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 23rd July, 2025

 

Readings: Exo.16:1-5.9-15; Ps. 78; Matt:13:1-9

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE OBSTACLES THAT MAKE OUR HEARTS UNFERTILE SOIL FOR GOD’S WORD TO BLOSSOM IN YOUR SOUL

Those who are into farming understand very well how a healthy seed blossoms on fertile soil. Little wonder Jesus in the parable of the sower decided to use this great farming mechanism to explain the relationship between the Word of God and the human heart. Because the Word of God is to the human heart what a healthy seed is to the soil.

In this parable, Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth.

But as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

Here, Jesus uses the parable of the sower to describe different kinds of responses to God's Word, for there are four obstacles that can distract us from making our hearts a fertile soil. These obstacles include: shallow-mindedness, hardened heart, worldly desires and finally, trials and persecutions. Most people fall into some, if not all, of these obstacles.

But what about the good soil? These are those who made their hearts a fertile soil through love and purity of heart, which helped them to hear the Word of God and understand it, and indeed bear fruit and yield an abundant harvest of a hundred, sixty and thirtyfold. Our Mother Mary is a good example of such people. Therefore, the different kinds of ground on which the seed falls represent the different ways in which we receive the Word of God.

Dear friends, today Jesus Christ gives us all the wonderful and beautiful Words of life, wooing us to heaven, are we disposed to letting his word blossom in our souls? Remember, our hearts are the fields in which the Word of God is scattered. To which do our hearts belong: the pathway, the rocky ground, the thorns or the good soil? Whichever one, we are called to pay attention and take some time to appreciate and dispose our hearts more, so that God’s Word may find a root in us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, each and every one of us have received the seeds of your Word. Give us grace to remain open to receiving your Word, so that it will blossom in our souls and bear fruit abundantly. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Tuesday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 22nd July, 2025. The Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

 

Readings: 2Cor. 5:14-17, Ps. 63, John 20:1-2.11-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LET YOUR HEART SEARCH FOR THE LORD LIKE MARY MAGDALENE

Every human person has a past and a future. The past is gone; we cannot change it. But the future brings hope alive, for in both past and future, we make our history a reality that can change the world. Today we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, a woman whose life history gives hope to sinners and a sense of the past for saints.

Often Mary Magdalene is referred to as the woman from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons or the repentant prostitute. Scriptures and history point out that Mary Magdalene had been greatly transformed by her faith in Jesus, and her life was changed after her first encounter with Jesus, for she abandoned her past life of sin.

May Magdalene was a grave sinner who ought to have been condemned to die by those who were also unworthy and sinful before God. But grace of God brought about the encounter that transformed her life and she was privileged to be the first to know about the resurrection of Jesus and to also encounter the risen Lord.

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, which presents to us the encounter of Mary Magdalene with the risen Lord. When the apostles had left the tomb, Mary stayed outside the tomb, weeping. In her devotion to Jesus, Mary seeks to learn where she might find Jesus’ body so that she might take him away, a task that would be difficult both emotionally and physically.

But she was not even concerned with how she would convey the body from one place to another. She only believes that Jesus’ body has been dishonoured, desecrated, and she is determined to see that he is accorded the honour that it deserves.

So, she remained by the tomb, weeping. Her heart was in earnest to find Jesus. The angels asked her: Why are you weeping? She was just busy trying to find the corpse of Jesus. But when she turned around and saw Jesus, her heart was filled with joy and peace. This courageous act of faith was her encounter with the risen Lord.

Thus, in Mary Magdalene, we see a heart that is determined to find Jesus. A heart that truly loves Jesus, a heart that cannot give up the search for Jesus, a heart that listened and remembered the words of Jesus about his resurrection.

Dear friends, as we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, we are called to imitate her virtues, knowing that God can use anyone as His instruments if we are ready to embrace Him irrespective of our past ways of life. For St. Paul tells us in our first reading that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old creation has passed away; behold, the new has come. For Christ died for all so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for our sake.

Therefore, today, we are called to forget our past sinful life and embrace the Lord. We are called to seek the Lord with affection and tears. But oftentimes the clouds and darkness of our sins blind us from recognising the Lord who is always very close to us.

The truth is that the Lord’s way of making himself known to his people is by his word; his word appeals to our souls, speaking to us in a particular way that is unique to us. Are we ready to embrace the Lord once again and make our history a reality that will change this sinful world?

 LET US PRAY: Lord God, like Mary Magdalene, our souls seek to encounter you personally once again. Give us the grace and strength to always be ready to turn away from sin and embrace your word, that we may personally experience, fill and recognise your presence once again in our lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Monday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 21st July, 2025

 

Readings: Exo. 14:5-18; Ps. Exo.15:1-6; Matt:12: 38-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY DO YOU SEEK SIGNS? HAVE NO FEAR! STAND FIRM! 

Listening to the conversation between Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees in our Gospel passage today as they asked Jesus for signs. He said to them, ‘It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah, telling us that, on Judgement day, the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached, they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here with us, that is, Jesus himself. 

Reflecting on this, the question that comes to my mind is: where will you and I and the beautiful things of this world be in the next ten, twenty, forty, eighty and hundred years for those who are strong? The deep silence in my soul could not offer me any answer to this question rather, it exposed me to the foolishness of human greediness and selfishness. Hence, I asked myself what God really requires from us in this world. This is what the Lord requires of us: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God. 

Therefore, we must be courageous like Moses in our first reading today, who, when the people of Israel were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, did not begin to look for signs; rather, he courageously said to the Israelites: ‘Have no fear! Stand firm, and you will see what the Lord will do to save you today: the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will do the fighting for you: you have only to keep still.’

Hence, as Jesus in this Gospel, presents to us the final recommendations of the end time, he insists that we should not be afraid, but we should pay rapt attention to the signs nature is giving us concerning the end time events, that these signs will make us to have hope founded firmly on the word of God which drives away fear and despair, knowing that the kingdom of God is very near to us. 

He also warns us about following those who claim to know when the end is coming. For we may see many of the signs written in Scripture happening already in our time, and people are terrified, looking for someone to show them the way. We should know that Jesus is the only Way, the Truth and the Life. 

Dear friends, what signs are we seeing around us today? How can we interpret the signs of these times, the signs that tell us that this world is passing away? Do these signs make us dread the second coming of the Lord, or do we joyfully embrace it in anticipation? However, Jesus warns us not to waste our time seeking signs; rather, we should be prepared and remain firm in faith. 

He reminds us that he is not just the sign of Jonah, but something far greater than Jonah, and without him in our lives, we will be lost, because the future lies in his hands, and nothing can destroy or hurt us as long as we remain faithful to his commands. Nonetheless, what he requires of us in this world is for us to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we embrace your word today, give us the grace to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with you and as we carry out our task this week, may your favour be with us now and always. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week.

Homily For Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 20th July, 2025

 

Reading: Gen. 18:1-10; Ps. 15; 2Col. 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LEARN TO LISTEN TO GOD AND YOUR ACTIONS AND HOSPITALITY WILL BE PERFECT

One of the vital aspects of the human person, which is very much lacking in most of our communications these days, is listening. This is because, oftentimes, we worry about so many things in life, trying to let people hear us without taking time to listen to them. Some people are always trying to satisfy everyone without listening to the real thing that matters.

I have also come across people who are often worried about how to make others feel more comfortable without minding their own discomfort. They are so concerned with pleasing others even when they are not pleased. What a great sacrificial virtue that is not common these days.

This sacrificial virtue is the attitude of Martha in our Gospel passage today, where we have the story of how Martha was so busy trying to make Jesus comfortable when he visited them at their house in Bethany.

But when Martha observed that her sister Mary was not helping out in the preparation, rather was busy listening to Jesus, she said to Jesus: “Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha, you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her”.

Here, Jesus is not condemning this great sacrificial virtue nor condoning laziness. Rather, he is saying that being busy without listening and listening without doing is worthless. Hence, he gently corrects the impression of Martha, who was too busy and distracted with so many things that she risks losing sight of what is really important, that is, listening to Jesus. This is because Martha gives the impression that Mary is just sitting there doing nothing. But, in fact, she is listening to Jesus.

However, Jesus is not telling us to be content with sitting down and listening to his word, for he always insists that listening to his word means putting it into practice. While his objection to Martha's request is because she was too anxious and distracted by many things, so that she was not able to really listen to him, for Jesus, listening is the best option.

It is this act of listening that made Abraham, in our first reading today, recognise the personality of three men standing close to him and said to them: My lord, I beg you, if I find favour with you, kindly do not pass your servant by. A little water shall be brought; you shall wash your feet and lie down under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread and you shall refresh yourselves before going further. That is why you have come in your servant’s direction.’

They replied, ‘Do as you say.’ And as they departed one of them said: ‘I shall visit you again next year without fail, and your wife will then have a son.’ What a favour he received from them, and this teaches us the importance of hospitality and listening to God who speaks to us deep down in our conscience.

Little wonder, St. Paul in our second reading today said: “I became the servant of the Church when God made me responsible for delivering God’s message to you, the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his saints.”

Here, St. Paul made us know that we must learn to listen to God’s message and be hospitable to one another, for this is the wisdom in which we are thoroughly trained and instructed and so made perfect in Christ.

Dear friends, we need to ask ourselves if we are more like Martha or like Mary, for they were both friends of Jesus. Are we more of listeners or hospitable, accommodating and caring? Today, we must learn to listen to God even in the midst of our busy schedule with the things of this passing world.

Today, many of us are so busy and anxious about so many things that we have no time to listen to God speaking to us and addressing the situation we are actually busy trying to solve. Today we are called like Martha to pause and listen, so that we can hear God speaking to us and directing us towards the right path. Like Mary, we have listened we are called to action like Martha

Thus, Martha and Mary, who were known as friends of Jesus, loved to welcome him into their home; let us learn from them, knowing that hospitality is perfected when we have a listening ear. For it is a great virtue to be hospitable and caring, especially when we spend quality time listening to God and letting him direct and guide us towards carrying out our daily tasks.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are always so busy with the things of this passing world, that we often do not have time to listen to you. Give us the grace like Mary to choose the better part, which is to truly listen to your word and then be well disposed to be caring and hospitable just like Martha, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed Sunday celebration.